Finally
by robinsongirl
Summary: Claire has finally turned 18, but something seems to be bothering her. Can Quil figure out what it is, and will it effect the news he intended to share?


**AN: hey guys! I know you're waiting for chapter three of Love Remains the Same, but I've hit a bit of writers block with it. I hope to get over that soon, but in the meantime, here is a new Quil/Claire story. ^_^**

**Finally**

_An imprint story _

Its amazing sixteen years can go by so fast and so slow at the same time. I still remember the day I first imprinted on Claire. She had been playing in Emily and Sam's front yard, her adorable pigtails bouncing around as she ran around the small yard. It's been heaven and hell watching Claire grow up. Being with her through chicken pox and training wheels, but also forced to watch her go through puberty and boyfriends her own age. I wouldn't change a single moment of it though. She truly is the center of my life, the gravity holding me to earth. I would do anything to see her happy.

And now here we were. Claire turns eighteen today. I can finally tell her about _us_. She already knew about the pack. It's hard to keep something like that from anyone when you and your friends never age. I had promised Both Claire's parents and Sam that I wouldn't say anything about _imprinting_ until now, and although I've come close multiple times, I have managed to keep that promise. I had already arranged with Claire to have her to myself tonight, something we had been doing every year on her birthday.

I turned over in bed and groaned as I read the clock. 3:45 AM. How was I going to make it through the day?

"Quil!" It warmed my heart to see Claire's heart shaped face break into a smile as she opened the door for me. "Happy Birthday, Claire Bear!" I wrapped my arms around her in a bear hug. "Ready to go?" I tried to keep my nerves under control as I lead her out to her back yard. I left for the trees and phased for our now traditional birthday run. Claire climbed onto my back after I returned and we took off for the beach. There was no better feeling than running with Claire, her small hands wrapped in my fur as the wind rushed past us. Laving her on the beach I phased back and lead her to our favorite spot on the beach, where an old tree grew and twisted to make a comfortable seat.

"So how does it feel to be an adult?" I teased. She laughed, warming my heart again. "I feel exactly the same as yesterday." She waved her arms around sarcastically, and the sun glinted off of her charm bracelet. I grabbed her hand and inspected the bracelet, holding a birthday present from me for the past ten years. "You've only got room for one more…" "You'll actually have to _think_ of what to get me next year." Her eyes glinted with her anticipation as to what this years charm was. "I put a lot of thought into your charms!" I said with mock hurt. I really did. A ballet slipper, a paint brush, more recently a cell phone, each one fitting with each years obsession. Would she still wear it once she found out that _she_ had been my obsession for the past sixteen years?

Pushing the worrying though from my head I pulled out the small box that held this year's surprise. "Happy birthday." I watched anxiously as she tore through the paper. She gasped as she pulled it from the box, a small silver heart. "Quil, its beautiful!" she through her arms around my neck and planted a kiss on my check. I blushed and fought the urge to kiss her back. I helped her fasten it to her bracelet and then we sat in a comfortable silence. Claire was fidgeting with her bracelet when I looked back down at her again. "Is something wrong?" She sighed.

"I was accepted to Seattle University." I jumped up and pulled Claire with me, dancing around happily. "Claire that's great! I'm so proud of you! Aren't you excited?" The grin that had taken over my face began to wither as I looked down at Claire's solemn expression. "Yeah… excited." Sarcasm dripped from her words. "Claire?" It worried me that a school she had worked so hard to get into, now had her almost in tears. "It's more than three hours away…" as she said the words I realized what was bothering her. She pulled away from my arms and walked down to the water. She pulled off her shoe and wadded in the cold water. _Three hours…_ the thought almost hurt, to be so far away from Claire… "It could be worse… you could be going to NYU…" I tried to find the silver lining. Claire just shook her head and still wouldn't look back up.

"You won't forget about me will you?" she asked quietly after a while. "Of course not! How could you even think that?" She shrugged and continued pacing in the water. "I thought that once I was gone you would move on or something, meet a girl, fall in love… leave me behind…" I pulled her back into my arms. "Claire, there's something I need to tell you…" I lead her back to the tree and sat so that we were facing each other again. "What's wrong?" this time Claire asked the question. I collected my thoughts before taking a deep breath and letting my story spill out.

"There's something I never told you about werewolves." Her eyes widened, but she remained quite. "Have you ever heard of imprinting?" Claire shook her head and then nodded for me to continue. "It's like finding your true soul mate. Love at first sight. When you see that person, nothing could happen that would ever make you stop loving that person, all you want to do is scoop them up and hold them for the rest of time…" Claire's eyes were filling with tears still. "You've imprinted." She sounded worse than before. I sighed and ran a hand through my short hair. This wasn't going the way I planned. "Yes, I've imprinted." She was silent and again turned away from me. "Who is she?" I could tell she was trying to hide it, but I still saw her raise a hand to wipe at her tears.

I turned her back around and framed her face with my hands. "It's _you_ Claire. I love you." A long moment passed as we froze like that, before she brought her hands to my face and pulled my lips to hers. The only thing I could think was _finally._ The kiss deepened until a breeze came through and Claire shivered against the cold. I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped my arms around her. She rested her head on my chest and then looked up at me. "I love you, Quil. I have for a long time now." She blushed, but for once didn't look away. I grinned as I kissed her again. "I've waited a long time to here you say that… It's been a _long_ sixteen years." She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck again. "So about school…" her smile disappeared again. "I was wondering how opposed you would be to me renting an apartment close to campus for the next four years?" The squeal that came from her lips nearly deafened me. "Really? You'd do that for me?" I laughed. "You couldn't get rid of me now if you wanted too." She grinned so wide I thought that her jaw would break.

"So, did you have a good birthday?" I asked her latter as we drove back to her house. "I finally got everything I wanted." I kissed her hand and returned my eyes to the road wondering if you could die from happiness. "Yes, Finally."

**Thanks again guys. Sorry if this was a total epic fail. The idea came to me this morning… that's what happens when I have a day of off school. 8)**


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